More Changes Made to the 2018 Sheriff’s Promotional Exams

November 8, 2017 - Posted by Ed Esposito

In November of 2016, the New Jersey Civil Service Commission (NJ CSC) made major changes to the Sheriff’s promotional examinations for Sergeants, Lieutenants and Captains. Those changes were the result of a job analysis study initiated by the NJ CSC that engaged incumbents from each rank during three phases of the study. Each phase of the study represented a unique aspect of the process that the NJ CSC used to identify critical tasks, knowledge, skills and abilities for each rank. Ultimately, the critical work components and potential source material was revised for the entire title series. Most notably, the “multiple-choice” format was eliminated on the Sheriff’s Lieutenant and Captain examinations administered in 2017, and the tests were comprised solely of the new “short answer” and “essay” format.

The NJ CSC has announced that it will tentatively administer the next Sheriff’s promotional examinations in May of 2018. For the 2018 exams, the NJ CSC has again revised the content and format. This article summarizes the most recent and most significant changes that will impact the upcoming exams.

Source Material for the ExaminationIn 2017, the NJ CSC changed the “listed” sources for all three Sheriff’s Officer Promotional Examination Orientation Guides. Those changes remain and include the New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines, Management and Supervision of Law Enforcement Personnel, 5th Edition by Donald J. Schroeder and Frank Lombardo and Title 2C. For 2018, the Lieutenant’s and Captain’s examinations also list the Constitution and case law in their orientation guides, which has not specifically appeared as a listed source in many years. Since these changes were prompted by the recent study, it is important to note that the orientation guides states “[t]he development of all test questions will not be restricted to these sources.” The new sources are welcome additions to the orientation guides because they are practical materials commonly used by incumbent supervisors, regardless of assignment.

Changes for Sergeants The 2017 revision of the listed “critical work components” on the orientation guide for the Sergeant’s examination remain for 2018. Six components are now measured compared new components added and the former components retitled, combined or eliminated. The newest components include: critical thinking, decision making and problem solving. The changes made to the scoring “weight” for each component and recent revisions include the following:

Report Writing/Reviewing – 18.75%

Interpersonal Relations/Supervision – 18.75%

NJ Title 2C – 12.50%

Attorney General Guidelines – 12.50%

Critical Thinking – 18.75%

Decision Making/Problem Solving – 18.75%

Changes for Lieutenants and Captains The Sheriff’s Lieutenant and Captain examinations will again see the most significant changes for 2018. To start, the scoring “weight” assigned to the components, which was removed in 2017, is back and differs for Lieutenants and Captains in three areas: Title 2C, Supervision and Interpersonal Relations. According to the NJ CSC, each component has the following weight with respect to scoring:

Supervision – 17.5% (Capt.) - 15% (Lt.)

Interpersonal Relations – 17.5% (Capt.) - 15% (Lt.)

Title 2C – 10% (Capt.) - 15% (Lt.)

New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines – 10%

Search Procedures – 10%

Arrest Procedures – 10%

Critical Thinking – 10%

Problem Solving – 10%

Written Communication – 10%

The 2018 changes also include an examination formant change. This is the second time that the format of the Sheriff’s Lieutenant and Captain examinations has changed in the last two years. According to the NJ CSC, the 2018 examination for these ranks will consist of “an essay and multiple-choice format.” The “essay will involve the review of a scenario related to the duties” of the tested rank. Candidates will now respond to multiple-choice questions and complete their essay response, which will be hand-written.

A Final WordSince essay response questions can consist of any of the cited sources and can be configured in many ways, candidates should study a variety of formats typically utilized for this type of examination format. This will ensure that candidates will be able to respond effectively and efficiently to the questions, regardless of structure, that appear on the examination.

Although the administration and scoring of the 2018 examinations has yet to occur, any changes made by the NJ CSC are likely to become a part of the examination process for years to come. Therefore, it is beneficial for promotional candidates to become familiar with and to understand the changes that have been made. Candidates who are aware of recent changes and incorporate these changes into their studies will be better prepared for their examination.